Queensland’s target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 75% by 2035 could face the scrap heap, with the state energy minister ordering a review of the ambitious legislation. The Clean Economy Jobs Bill was passed into law last year, with the backing of both Labor and the Liberal National party. It sets among Australia’s highest…
More than 40 Labour MPs from three influential backbench groups have called on ministers to introduce digital IDs, which they claim would boost productivity in delivering public services and crack down on illegal employment. The open letter – organised by the Rother Valley MP, Jake Richards – has been signed by the co-chairs of the…
Investors piled back into Australian shares on Tuesday, ignoring a looming showdown between the US and China in a tariff battle that threatens to paralyse global trade. The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 closed up more than 2%, representing its biggest one-day gain in more than two years. The rebound erased some of the steep losses suffered…
The Bank of England should use its meeting next month to cut interest rates by at least half a percentage point to 4% in response to the financial turmoil created by Donald Trump’s trade tariffs, the former deputy governor Charlie Bean has said. He believes an aggressive strategy is needed to combat the fallout from…
A Belgian prince has lost a legal battle to claim social security benefits on top of his royal allowance, with a court ruling his claim – the first of its kind in the country’s nearly 200-year history – “unfounded”. Prince Laurent, the youngest of three children of the former king and queen, had argued that…
Anthony Albanese became visibly emotional while recalling the mental health struggle of a family friend who nearly died, as he launched Labor’s $1bn pledge to boost access to treatment and counselling. The prime minister recalled being shocked as a young man by the difficulties faced by his friend’s niece and said many Australians have “issues…
Donald Trump has announced that the US is to hold direct talks with Iran in a bid to prevent the country from obtaining an atomic bomb, while also warning Tehran of dire consequences if they fail. Sitting beside Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, in the Oval Office, Trump indicated that discussions would start this coming…
Donald Trump has threatened to impose an additional 50% tariff on imports from China on Wednesday unless the country rescinds its retaliatory tariffs on the United States by Tuesday. The news comes on the third day of catastrophic market falls around the globe since Trump announced his trade war last Wednesday with tariffs on the…
The Stella prize, Australia’s award for women and non-binary authors, has made history this year with a shortlist featuring only works by women of colour, for the first time since the award was established in 2013. Announced on Tuesday morning, this year’s shortlist includes Darumbal and South Sea Islander journalist Amy McQuire’s essay collection, Black…
The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is in Washington for a second meeting with Donald Trump since the US president’s return to office, where the pair are expected to discuss the 18-month-old war in Gaza, Iran’s nuclear threat and US tariffs. Trump greeted Netanyahu at the White House on Monday afternoon with a firm handshake…
